Method of producing organ music



March 22, 1932. H. F. WATERS i,350,138

METHOD OF PRODUCING ORGAN MUSIC Filed June 28. 1930 fimlllfl fi uumpwuuwuumyw {EIEIEIEJQEigEqUUUUUEIUU Patented Mar. 22, 1932 FATEN EOFFICE HARRY F. WATERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF PRODUCING ORGAN MUSIC Application filed June 28,

This invention relates generally to methods of producing organ music andmore specifically to a method for indicating manual, control ofregistration and expression during playing of organs, the predominantobject of the invention being to provide an improved method whereby anorgan may be played with the aid of an automatic playing mechanism insuch manner that indicating means will be actuated to designate what andwhen certaln tablets shall be manually operated and other parts actuatedto obtain proper registration and expression in'the rendition of themusical composition being played.

Prior to this invention organs have been played by automatic playingmechanism where the player roll was provided with perforations whichcontrolled the entire operation of the organs including the necessaryregistration and expression. In other words,

the player rolls employed during operation of an organ so playedincluded perforations which cooperated with certain parts of the playerand organ mechanism to cause the direct operation of the organ elementswhich controlled the registration and expression 1ncident to the musicalcomposition being played. A player mechanism of the type just referredto is called a full automatic player'and during the playing of an organwith the aid thereof no manual operation of any part of the organ wasnecessary, the organ being as completely played by the player mechanismas if a skilled orgamst was seated at the console and was playing theorgan by hand. I

Instead of obtaining a full automatic rendition on an organ it isdesirable at times to obtain a semi-automatic or partial automaticrendition; that is to say in school work and at other times it is highlydesirable that the registration and expression incident to the music becontrolled manually during rendition of a musical composition so thatthis important part of the art of playing an organ may be learned by astudent or other person interested therein.

In view of the foregoing I have devised the improved method disclosedherein which, briefly stated, involves providing each tablet,

lamps.

1930. Serial No. 464,477.

or other controlling element of the console of an organ, which isoperated in controlling the registration and expression of the organ,with a small electric lamp or other indicating means. The actuation ofthe indicating means referred to is controlled by the same perforationsin the player roll which in the case of a full automatic renditioncauses the actuation of the registration and expression controllingmechanism of the organ, but in the case of the semi-automatic orpartialautomatic rendition the perforations referred to merely serve toactuate the indicating means. To be more specific in connection with theoperation of an organ in accordance with my improved method, let it beassumed that a. semi-automatic rendition of a musical C0111? position isbeing played on the organ the person who is to control the registrationand expression during rendition of the composition being seated at theconsole of the organ. The player roll employed with the player mechanism is the same type of roll used when theorgan is operated fullautomatic and as the perforations of the player roll, which inv the.case of a full automatic rendition would directly operate theregistration and expression controlling elements of the organ, pass overthe tracker bar of the player mechanism certain electric lamps locatedadjacent to tablets and other registration and expression controllingelements would be lighted and the lighting of these electric lampswouldbe a signal to the person at the console to op.- erate the particulartablets or other controlling elements associated with. said electricEach tablet or other registration and expression controlling element atthe console of the organ has .a small electric lamp or other signalingdevice arranged in association therewith and as the perforation in theplayer roll which is correlated with a particular electric lamp passesthe tracker board of the player, that electric lamp will be lightedwhereby the person at the console will be notiiied by such lighting ofthe electric lamp that the tablet or other controlling elementassociated therewith should be actuated.

Thus during rendition of a musical composition the electric lamps orother signaling an actuated condition onlyduring the period theassociated controlling elements should be in operative positions andwhen said signaling devices cease to function, the person at the consoleof the organ will restore the controlling elements to their inoperativeposition," 7

By virtue of my improved method a personmay learn the registration andexpression of musical compositions so that eventually such person maycontrol the registration and expression during rendition of said musicalcompositions on organs which are not automatically played, it beingnecessary, merely,

that the person in question be able to properly operate the keys of theorgan.

In the drawing which shows diagrammatically for the purpose'ofillustration, merely, an embodiment of the invention, A designates thetrack-er bar of an automatic organ-playing mechanism which is providedwith the usual perforations B. C designates the playerroll and Ddesignates the spool on which said player roll is wound during playingof the organ. E designates switching mechanism, the elements of whichare operated when predetermined perforations of the player roll D passover certain perforations B in the tracker bar, such switching mechanismbeingof the well known construct-ion common to automatic playingmechanism for organs. The reference character F designates tablets orother elements which are employed to controlregistration and expressionduring J playing of an organ, and G designates signal devices such aselectric lamps, which are associated with the controlling elements F,there being'one ofsaid signaling devices associatedwith each controllmgdevice. lhe

tracker bar A is connected by suitable electric conductors H to theswitching mechanism E and said switching mechanism is in turn connectedby electric conductors J to the signaling devices G.

During the automatic playing of an organ in accordance with my improvedmethod a player .roll is used which is of the type employed whenfullautomatic playing of an organ is obtained; that is to say said playerroll is provided with perforations which in the case of the fullautomatic operation of'an organ directly actuates the elements whichcontrol registration and expression during playing of the organ.However, in playing an organin accordance with this invention theperforations referred to do not actually operate the registration andexpression controlling elements but instead these perforations, with theaid of the switching mechanism E, merely cause the proper signalingdevices G to be actuated. The person who is to control registration andexpression manually during playing of the organ is seatedat the consoleof the organ and as'the various signaling devices are actuated in themanner set forth this person will operate the controlling elementsassociated with theactuated signaling devices. The signaling devicesremain in an actuated condition only during the period the controllingelements should be in operative positions and when said signalingdevices cease to function this will be a signal to the personcontrolling re istration and expression to restore the controllingelements to their inoperative positions.

Thus it is obvious that the person controlling registration andexpression during rendition of a musical composition played inaccordance with this invention, need only operate the controllingelements when the signals to do so are automatically given, and restoresaid controlling elements when said signals cease tofunction, and whenthis is done registration and expression will be properly controlled.

While in this specification Irefer to the signaling devices as beingelectric lamps I do not wish to be limited to the use of these pre cisedevices as various other signaling devices may be employed. Also inreferrmg to organs 1 mean to include all musical 1nstruments of thisgeneral type including pipe organs and reed organs. Finally I wish todirect attention to the fact that the diagrammatical drawing shows onlythe elements to' which the presentmvention refers, all other 1 parts ofthe player mechanism and organ being eliminated.

I clann: i i V 1. In combination with an automatic organ-playingmechanism, an element for con trolling the actuation of said playingmechamsm in a manner to cause the operation of parts only of an organwith which the play- 2.111 combination with'an automatic organ-playingmechanism,.an element for con trolling the actuation of said playingmechanism in a manner to cause the operation of parts only of an organwith which the playmg mechanism is associated, and signaling .meansapart from and controlled by said element for indicating when the'partsof the organ not controlled by said element should be manually actuated,said signaling means being correlated with the controlling ele- Inentsof the organ parts which are manually operated on actuation of saidsignaling means.

8. In combination with an automatic organ-playing mechanism, a playerroll for controlling actuation of said playing mechanism in a manner tocause the operation of parts only of an organ with which the playingmechanism is associated, and signaling means apart from said player rolland controlled thereby for indicating when parts of the organ notcontrolled by said player roll should be manually actuated.

4. In combination with an automatic organ-playing mechanism, an elementfor controlling the actuation of said playing mechanism in a manner tocause the operation of parts only of an organ with Which the playingmechanism is associated, and electrically operated signaling means apartfrom said element and actuated thereby for indicating when the parts ofthe organ not controlled by said element should be manually actuated.

5. In combination with an automatic organ-playing mechanism, an elementfor con trolling the actuation of said playing mechanism in a manner tocause the operation of parts only of an organ with which the playingmechanism is associated, and signal means apart from and controlled bysaid element for indicating when parts of the organ not controlled bysaid element should be manually actuated, said signaling meansc0mprising electrically actuated signaling devices which are arrangedadjacent to manually operated members for controlling actuation of partsof the organ notcontrolled by said element.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY F. WATERS.

